The 1989 Archive Project is a multidisciplinary production by Tiny Little Cosmos that bridges the gap between historical broadcast artifacts and contemporary immersive art. Led by Composer Jon Bernstein (Disparition) and Director Deepthi Welaratna, the project centers on two primary works: the ambient electronic album 1989 and the award-winning short film installation "Wood."
About the Work
In December 1989, the Romanian Revolution became the first major political uprising to unfold live on national television, creating a massive broadcast archive. This history haunted composer Jon Bernstein, whose family traces its roots to Romania. His 2008 album, 1989, constructs a detailed sonic portrait of that collapse, drawing on 1980s-era synthesizer compositions and archival audio samples.
In 2009, Bernstein and director Deepthi Welaratna created "Wood," a four-minute cinematic visual translation of the track. Drawing from the same archive, the film uses found footage from Romanian state television and photojournalism to examine state violence and the fragility of memory. By isolating and layering legacy 576i SD video, the film recreates the trauma of living under authoritarianism. "Wood" is currently touring international film festivals, earning honors at the Berlin Music Video Awards and the Indie Short Fest among others.
What We Are Working On
Independent artists face immense legal barriers when working with historical media. Much of the 1989 record is held by state entities or exists as "orphan works." We are undertaking a rigorous rights, permissions, and fair-use clearance phase for roughly 100 archival visual items and audio samples so both the film and album can be safely preserved, distributed, and acquired for permanent institutional display. Alongside this, we are producing subtitled and annotated versions of "Wood" and preparing for Disparition to perform 1989 live for the first time.
Use of Funds
Funds raised support a project team assembled by Tiny Little Cosmos including:
- A Romanian-language research consultant to navigate state archives.
- An attorney for rights clearance and fair use review.
- Research and archival assistants to build clearance and preservation documentation.
- A translator for the annotated version of "Wood."
- A social media assistant to document the preservation process publicly.
Jon Bernstein is known to many as the composer behind Welcome to Night Vale. "Wood" and 1989 represent an equally vital, deeply personal side of his work.
Learn More: https://tinylittlecosmos.co